Blood Lust
by Ravin' Raven
Summary: Hermione Granger has changed, and while her friends and family try to discover her many secrets, Voldemort is concocting a whole new plan that could mean the end of the wizarding world and the beginning of a whole new reign. CANCELLED
1. Chapter One: Summer Changes

Blood Lust

AN: Hey, Raven here! For those of you who read this story uinder my other name, I'm sorry for any confusion caused by the change, but I finally got an email account and formed a new profile. This is a edited version of the most recent version of Blood Lust, and I hope that any new readers will review. R&R! raven

Blood Lust: Chapter One

A thick, black solution sat still in a cold cauldron, dormant and useless, a solution of water and wolves bane that was nothing but a waste of time. At least that's how Wormtail saw it. But he was not about to question the Dark Lord's orders. Wormtail shuddered at the memory of his left hand being cut from his wrist in a single stroke. He set a hand of the metal-thing- that served as the replacement for his hand, pulling his hand away when he felt the cold bite of the metal. No, he would say nothing, he thought bitterly, he never did, never question the master. Wormtail shook his head, as though to remove such thoughts from his mind. You never knew when He was listening.

Two red, pupil-less eyes glittered from the darkness, reveling in the perfection of their newest plan. Yes, things were going wonderfully. This was a plan no one could predict, no one could stop. Not even that blasted Potter brat. Paper-white hands clenched, the dry, thin skin stretching over thin and brittle bones. He was still not fully recovered after his attempt on the Boy. But that would not happen again. No, no one could stop him in his quest, in his own "holy war."

The world would be his.

Hermione Granger, at first glance, was nothing spectacular. Her hair had gone from one extreme to another over the summer. From bushy as a squirrel thrown in a drier, to as limp and lifeless as a beheaded fish, framing her heart shaped, pale face in a smooth wave . Although it could still be called brown, it was only be large stretch of imagination, as the shade was more black than any other color.

Her eyes were brown, just an average, Crayola crayon brown. But, if you looked behind the color, behind the eye itself, you saw her soul. Sharp and intelligent, with a wit sharper than a blade of silver. And fear, loneliness, despair. Emotions not expected in an average teenage witch. But Hermione was not the average witch. Not only did she know everything there was to know, she knew more. More then the mortal mind could ever wrap its limited, flimsy mind around.

She knew of the things that slinked through the darkness, that fed on the hidden fear in the back of the minds of all people. Things that lived under the beds and in the closets of all children and the Hogwarts students. The things that had been banished by the age of seven existed in the very school that was meant to keep them away. But Hermione was the only one aware, the only one who had the knowledge of the truth, and with that truth, lack of fear. Hermione knew all there was to know and more, she had no reason to fear anything at all. Nothing, and she knew it.

Edward Granger shifted on his feet as he stood by his front door, fidgeting with the car keys as he waited for his daughter to come to the door. Something had happened to Hermione over the summer vacation, and it frightened him. Edward could not explain his fear of his own daughter, and he was almost ashamed of his irrational flight instinct that he felt when he saw the daughter of his own flesh and blood. But he had noticed the gradual change in her physical appearance, her attitude, and her behavior. She had become quieter, almost darker, and not only in appearance, her very personality seemed to have been cast in shadow. She had insisted on staying locked up in her room all day and going to various events at all times of the night. She had changed, and Ed Granger could tell that it wasn't for the better. He froze as Hermione glided-she didn't just walk anymore, she seemed to float- down the stairs with her trunk dragging behind her and a cat basket under her arm.

"Come on, Hermione, we don't want you to miss the train."

Hermione leaned back in her chair, tucking her chin down to hide her face from the sunlight. She was lying down on her stomach in the back seat of her parent's station wagon, hiding herself from the light steaming through the windows in what seemed like a powerful flow pounding on her back. Clothing only blocked so much. The light slammed itself against her cloak, trying to force its way through to the pale skin beneath, but she would be safe soon, she would be at Hogwarts, and she would be safe from the sun and her mother's cross that hung from her neck everyday, all day.

Soon, she would be safe.

TBC


	2. Chapter Two:On the Train

Blood Lust

AN: Please tell me how to improve my story, or even little mistakes that I made that could be corrected. Even spelling corrections are warmly accepted. Thanks.

Blood Lust: Chapter Two

Draco Malfoy, world's wanker extraordinaire, swaggered down the halls of the Hogwarts Express, the knowledge of an unknown smugly tucked under his arm. This was what he had been waiting for almost all his life, the evidence that would tear Magnificent Mudblood Granger's reputation into pieces before tossing it into the toilet. A wizard camera was tucked into the pocket of his robes. Just in case.

This was going to be good.

Running her tongue over her teeth, Hermione stared at the blank wall of her compartment. The curtains and door where closed tight as they could be and the compartment was pitch black. Hermione was remembering the summer, or at least -trying- to remember the summer as it should have been.

She _should_ have finished her homework. She _should_ have finished her summer reading list that she had created for herself. She _should_ have written to Harry and Ron. She _wasn't_ supposed to become more of a freak than she already was thought of as. She _should_ not have made that late night trip to 7-Eleven.

Hermione sighed and the seat creaked as she shifted her weight. Hopefully, people would see the closed curtains on the door and keep away. Hopefully.

Hermione sighed again as she reached into her school bag, finishing through the front pocket. Pulling out a muggle canister, she unscrewed the cap and took a sip, a shudder running through her as the liquid replenished her energy. She continued to drink, and strapped her bag over her shoulder.

Suddenly the door slid open with a bang, allowing bright sunlight to flow into the compartment. Hermione hissed and dropped the canister, pushing herself off her seat and clinging to the ceiling with all her might. She bit back a growl as Draco Malfoy entered the compartment.

Draco "Slytherin King" Malfoy, smirked as he slid the door to the compartment Granger had hidden herself in, he felt compelled to shout "SURPRISE!" as he entered, but resisted the urge as he looked around the empty compartment. Where had she gone? He glanced at the ground and picked up what seemed like a container of some kind. A thick, red substance was slowly spreading over the carpet from the canister. Draco picked it up, grimacing when his hand became coated with the warm fluid. Putting his hand to his nose, he sniffed the stuff, then rubbed his fingers together. Blood. This container was filled with blood!

Draco dropped the container, backing away towards the door. The blood was still warm, it had been dropped recently. That freakazoid Granger was still in the room. Draco wasn't scared of her, but of what she would do to him. The prospect of becoming a night stalking blood drinker was not appealing to him.

Something dripped onto his cheek, and Draco reached a hand up and wiped it away. He looked up. Granger was clinging to the ceiling, blood dripping from her lips. Another drop landed on his chin.

Hermione smirked, her long canines glinting in the sunlight, and doing her best not to let the pain show. Best to just be intimidating.

"Hello Malfoy."

"G-Granger...how you doing?" Draco attempted to distract Hermione with pointless conversation as he crept to the compartment door. Hermione raised a thin eyebrow.

"Just fine, thanks you Malfoy." She fell from the ceiling and flipped in the air so she would land on her feet. She landed in a crouch and rose slowly, her fangs glittering menacingly as she advanced on him. "And you?" Malfoy crept back slowly, very confused at her odd behavior, even as a vampire. Hermione gave Malfoy a toothy grin, a grin that was on the point of madness.

"You weren't thinking of leaving were you? Just after we had started to get to know one another..." She rushed forward and Draco whipped around to have the compartment door slammed shut in his face. Hermione was standing in front of the door, and locked it behind her.

"Sit down, stay awhile." She bent over the pick up her canister and looked inside. "You made me lose my lunch, Malfoy. That's all I was going to get until we get to Hogwarts in a few hours." She glanced at Draco, smirked at his antsy expression. "What is your problem? You'd think I was about to attack you or something. Oh!" Hermione feigned surprise. "You think I'd even think of sucking you dry before I turned into a hideous, starving husk of a vampire? I'm hurt, Malfoy, I thought you knew me better then that."

"You're crazy, Mudblood, even worse then when you were actually just a sub- human!" Draco scooted away from Hermione, trying to look casual, and attempted a cocky smirk. He failed, instead he ended up looking somewhat constipated. Hermione laughed.

"You're right, but it's rather hard to remain unchanged with you have my condition, Malfoy, I'd like to see you try." She pushed Draco down into a seat and leaned forward, her fangs bared and glinting in the faint light that showed through the curtains. Draco's eyes widened, and he started flailing in Hermione's grip. Her vampiric strength held him fast and immobile.

"You're dead Malfoy, or rather, undead. You see, when you become a vampire, you die, but you still need certain things to remain undead. But when you don't get those things…well, let's just say that it's a long and painful path to walk." Draco's mouth opened and closed, gasping for breath. "And when you become a vampire, you must be taught, without teaching you can easily die again within three days. You will have no teacher, you will be left to flail in the sun, writhing like a snake impaled on a stick. I will have my retribution!"

She could she the pulse in his neck, smell the rivers flowing beneath his pale skin, and his fear. The salty, intoxicating scent that he radiated, the smell that drove some vampires into frenzy when they fed. The blood, red red red blood that she knew was just under the thin protection of skin.

"Now we shall see in your blood is truly as pure as you say, Malfoy. Whether or not you have been lying to me for years or not. Are you ready Malfoy?"

She was insane, Malfoy was sure. Not a blabbering, fearful, insane that affected his father after a year in Azkaban, but a fearless, dominating insanity. And he was pinned down underneath her. He was going to die.


	3. Chapter Three: Changing Draco

Blood Lust

AN: Here is the much awaited Chapter Three! (or at least I hope it was much awaited…) Anyway…

Chapter Three

And so, Draco Malfoy died. He was given a nice little plot on the Malfoy Estate, and no one mourned him. Then his body rotted in the ground and was munched on by maggots and other creatures on the same vile sort; meanwhile his soul burned in the deepest circle of Hell.

"I wish," muttered Hermione. Draco was dead, sure. But no one knew about it, and he would be halfway alive soon anyway. Being the girl she was, Hermione couldn't bring herself to kill anyone, or, she couldn't bring herself to put a body in the dirt. Draco was currently collapsed on the seat, looking rather mussed as Hermione tried to wake him.

"Malfoy," she shook his shoulder, "wake up you wanker, we're getting close to Hogwarts." Draco groaned and shook his head, sitting up as straight as he could.

"Damn Granger, what the hell did you do to me?" He raised a hand to rub his neck and faltered at the punctures in the flesh. "No, no way in hell! You didn't." Hermione grinned and held up a mirror with a flourish. Draco glanced in, and nearly shrieked when he realized that he had no reflection. Hermione gathered her robes over her arm, smoothed her skirt, and slid the door open.

"Goodbye, Malfoy. Have fun rotting away. See you in the underworld? Alright, it's a date." She waved a hand casually over her shoulder and slammed the door. Draco began hyperventilating. What was he going to do? He was going to die! How would he survive! Then he forced himself to calm down, Malfoys did not panic. What did he know about vampires? One, they were hurt by sunlight; two, they did not like garlic or crosses; three, no reflection and could not be captured on film; and four, they lived on blood. His knowledge was rather limited.

He did his best to find a way around the inevitable conclusion, but it was no use. He needed Granger's help.

"Damn." Draco rose and tucked his hands in his pockets and hurried out the door, slamming into a hooded Hermione and nearly screaming when the sun hit his skin and it began steaming.

"I was hoping you would leave soon. This hurts." She pushed past him into the compartment. Draco followed her in and sighed with relief when the sun no longer touched him.

"How do you stand that? It hurts!" Hermione glared at him.

"It shouldn't matter to you, you don't need me do you? I ought to leave you to figure it out on your own." Draco grabbed her arm in another burst of panic.

"I need your help, I can't do this on my own, and I admit it! Please don't make me beg!" Draco was starting to shake with hunger. Hermione didn't have the heart to make him beg.

"Alright, I'll help you. For a fee." Draco groaned as another pang of pain hit his stomach.

"Anything." Hermione nodded.

"Alright, if we're going to get along, you have to listen to me." Draco nodded weakly. "First, you need to learn how to feed. Alright, bite me." She bared her neck to him, and he practically crawled to her. He went to bend over her, and she pushed him away. "No, no, no! You're being to clumsy, even if you are about to collapse, it has to be smooth so you hit the right vein and not an artery! You'll choke yourself if you're not careful. As a general rule, you always bite here" She set her fingers on her neck, over a vein where to pulse was faint, but strong.

Draco nodded and bit down. He felt his fangs pierce the soft, cool skin and the blood come coursing into his mouth. As it slid down his throat he felt and new strength coming to him. Hermione sat still as he took his fill, and then set a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Draco, get up. There's some stuff to go over before we get to Hogwarts." Draco pulled himself up onto a seat, his complexion was a little paler than usual, but with a small bit of flush in his cheeks. There was a small, satisfied smile on his face and Hermione was sure that this was the first time he hadn't seemed smug about something.

"You need to keep your skin covered. I have a bit more age behind me, so I can endure it a bit more than a newborn like you, but it still sting. You might want to wear gloves or keep your hands in your pockets and your hood if you can't avoid sunlight, you'll be warm but it will be worth it. "Draco nodded, glad that the dungeon had no windows. "You also need to avoid crosses, why, I'm not sure, but the garlic thing is a lie, it's a wonderful flavoring. You don't want to eat real food if you can help it, you may end up vomiting. Those are the basics, we'll figure out a time to talk again later."

The train pulled to a stop at the Hogsmeade station and Hermione pulled Draco's hood over his head, slightly disturbed by the odd affection that she felt for him. She chalked it up to the fact that he was her 'son' in a sense, and headed out of the door, Draco following behind her.


	4. Chapter Four: Secret Meeting

Blood Lust

AN: Thanks for all the great response to previous chapters! I'm on a roll with my writing, so here you go! Chapter Four!

Chapter Four

Hermione strolled into the Great Hall, achingly aware of stares directed in her direction. Word had traveled quickly about her not riding the train with Harry and Ron, and her new, overwhelmingly thick wardrobe was drawing plenty of attention on its own. Draco didn't seem to be having as much trouble, but then again she hadn't expected him to. It was dark in the Great Hall, and he quickly fell into his role as Slytherin Prince.

"Hermione! Hey, wait up!" Ron and Harry were pushing their way through the crowds of students in attempts to reach her, many gave yelps or shouts of protest as their feet were trodden upon. They eventually succeeded in reaching her, although they looked much worse for wear.

"Hello boys. I trust you got your summer homework done?" Harry and Ron both mocked glared at her.

"Of course, that would be the first thing you say to us. Of course we did! Although we had a hard time of it without you helping us." Ron pouted; he had come to depend on Hermione's letters for tips on the homework. Hermione smiled, careful to keep her lips sealed. Wouldn't do to scare them off.

"You'll survive. It wasn't too hard. How as your summer?" This apparently was the proper thing to say as the two burst into two entirely separate conversations simultaneously. Hermione let the two ramble on as they settled into their standard chairs at the Gryffindor Table, then shushed them as the Sorting began. Hermione paid little attention to the Hat's standard induction song, until the last two verses.

_Beware for the ones closest to those_

_On the flip sides for they are the_

_Most dangerous threat, those who_

_Are changed and shall be used_

_To a means that shall be an end_

_To the reign of the White_

_And the hellish army the Black shall bend_

_To the pains of hunger and light _

Hermione shifted nervously. It was another prophetic song. And it seemed like a prediction of the falling of Dumbledore, or 'White.' This song made her thoroughly nervous. The Hat was onto her secret and it seemed that, "Black" had found a way to harness the weaknesses of vampires. She wondered if Draco had figured it out. She glanced up from her plate. He was glancing around the Great Hall, eyes shifting. He had probably figured it out as well. She caught his eye as it roamed around the Hall. With a quick jerk of her head, she indicated the main doors.

"I'm not feeling to well…I'm going to the Hospital Wing." Harry and Ron nodded.

"Will you get there alright, Hermione?" Hermione nodded hurriedly as she noticed Draco striding out the doors.

"Yeah, I'll see you later…" And with that she practically ran out the doors. As she turned the first corner, she felt a hand reach out and snag her wrist. Draco stepped out from behind a suit of armor, his face grim.

"What do you think it means?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"You mean you haven't already figured it out? I thought you had the second ranking grades in the school…"Draco glared at her.

"Don't screw with me Granger…"

"Or what? I could beat the crap out of you any day, Malfoy, and besides, you need me." Draco dropped her wrist, glaring ferociously at her. Hermione pretended to massage it gently. "I think that Voldemort has figured us out. He has spies all over the place and no doubt one of them noticed some kind of commotion on the train. I think that he's going to use us. I'm not sure, but I think that we need to play it safe, alright? No pouncing on students. That'll blow our cover in a heartbeat…." Hermione paced, tossing the problem around in her head over and over. "We can't eat the chickens…or go to the Forbidden Forest, bleh…"

"How about we just do what we did on the train, feed off each other?" Hermione stopped, and clicked her nails against her teeth. "That could work…I'm not sure if the potency of the blood would harm us over time or not…my teacher never got that far…"

"It'll work, trust me." They started down the halls together, walking close enough to touch hands. "We'll need to meet up every now and then to, uh...feed."

"Almost every day." Stated Hermione, very matter-of-factly, "You're young, so you need more and more often too. The dungeons or an empty classroom would probably be best."

"What about the Room of Requirement?" Hermione blushed slightly. That room had quite an imagination, and she wasn't sure it would take their meeting the right way and she told Draco just that. "All right, then an empty classroom it is then. Which one?"

"The one in the Charms corridor, about three doors down from the classroom." Draco nodded, then turned down into the dungeons, waving a hand over his shoulder.

"See you tonight, Granger." Hermione nodded, allowing the blood to rush to her face now that he was gone. Hopefully their meeting would be short, or Hermione might loose control of herself. The feelings she had towards Draco were raging inside her, which was odd, considering she had hated his guts less than twenty four hours ago. Her teacher had said that when a vampire turned a human or two vampires shared blood, that there would be a bond formed. But this was something entirely unexpected, she actually _liked_ Draco. With her teacher she had more of an empathetic link.

Hermione shook off the disturbing thoughts, and headed toward the hospital wing. She would just say that she had a headache. Hopefully she would be able to keep the potion down…

She didn't.


	5. Chapter 5: Food Issues

Blood Lust

AN: Sorry it took so long, but there's only a few more days until school is out and I'll be free to write a lot more during the summer.

P.S: This is the most chapters that I've ever had in a story! WOOHOO!

Chapter Five

It had been two days since the Sorting and Hermione was surprised that Draco still seemed to be going strong. He had just been turned, and when Hermione had been at that age, she had needed to feed almost every day. But Draco seemed unaffected by the passing time. She decided that she would find some way to speak to him after breakfast. Not that she ever went to breakfast anymore, but she'd figure it out. At first her skipping breakfast had alarmed Harry and Ron, but after being consoled by a few lies, they came to believe that she was studying for her NEWTs and was having meals brought to her dormitory.

She stood outside the Great Hall and waited for the usual rush of students that came after the bell. She was quickly rewarded for her patience and wasted no time in filtering into the group. She passed Draco and knocked his elbow with hers and gave him the most meaningful look she could while surrounded by other students. He gave a discrete nod and started to subtly pull away from the pack. Hermione lagged behind him, close but far enough away that no one would draw a connection.

She ducked into the nearest classroom, where she knew Draco would be waiting for her. Draco was leaning against a desk, looking as ruddy and healthy as could be. Hermione knew that for him to be in this state he had to have fed recently, and that was not going to be left on its own.

"Who did you feed off of? Don't say you haven't, because there's no way you could be so bright-eyed and red-cheeked after not feeding for two days." Hermione left no room in her statement for him to object.

"I was thinking about what we decided, and I figured that if all we did was trade blood back and forth, then it would probably be worse than it would be to just eat chickens or some such other thing. So, I went into the Forbidden Forest and found some squirrels, regular ones, I made sure…or at least I was pretty sure..." Hermione grimaced. Blood from the Forbidden Forest wouldn't harm him, but it would probably be an unpleasant experience if he stumbled upon something more dangerous than squirrels.

"Never do that again, not without me with you." Draco sneered.

"Why? Worried about me Granger?"

"No. I'm worried about us being found out by Voldemort. Didn't you listen to the song during the Sorting or to me for that matter? He has something planned for us, or vampires in general at least, and if you decide to just go meandering off into the Forest, you could be picked off by something in there. Something unfriendly to us and under Voldemort's scaly thumb." She glared at him. "You will not go in there again unless we become very, very desperate. We'll figure something out. We weren't made Head Boy and Girl for nothing." She clicked her nail against a fang, and Draco smiled. This little habit of hers was almost cute.

"What about transfiguring something into an animal, then feeding off of it?" Hermione's brow wrinkled. She wasn't sure if magic put blood in the views of things.

"It's worth a shot. You have more magical energy than I do right now. You get to do it Malfoy." Draco pulled his wand out of his pocket with a flourish and changed the wastepaper basket into a basket full of rats. Hermione grabbed one by the tail and gave the neck a quick twist before sinking her teeth into its neck. But it was not blood that filled her mouth, but paper. She quickly spit it out.

"Alright, so that won't work. Vampire energies may negate the spell, or maybe you can't completely changed one thing into something else. It doesn't really matter right now. We'll just have to make trips to the Forest every so often to feed." Hermione leaned against a wall and slid down to the floor. She was suddenly very tired, and the classroom around her seemed to spin gently. She could vaguely make out Draco's face near hers.

"Granger, how long has it been since you fed? I don't count because I fed off you in return. When did you last feed before the train?" Hermione felt all light and wispy in body and in thought. She felt herself giggle softly.

"Four or five days I guess…" Draco sighed. He didn't know enough about vampires to know whether Hermione needed blood or just rest, so he'd decided he'd give her both. Her picked her up gently, one arms beneath her knees and another wrapped around her shoulders and began towards his dormitory. Being Head Boy had its advantages, one of them being a separate dormitory.

When he arrived, he laid her down softly on the bed and sat on the edge next to her. She was still conscious, but barely.

"Granger…Hermione, what do you need?" Hermione glanced at him.

"You called me Hermione………blood…blood…" She reached out a pale hand towards Draco and he helped pull her upright. She laid one arm over his shoulders, entwining her fingers in his hair before gently pulling his head back while the other rest against his thigh. She bit into his neck and groaned as the blood filled her mouth, her one hand tightening its grip on Draco's thigh. She felt her strength returning to her, her whole body was afire; she had never drunk blood with this kind of flavor before, this potency. When she had drunk her fill, she still licked at his neck; caught up in the power she felt coursing through her.

"You taste so good, what are you that you taste so wonderful?" Hermione wasn't sure if she voiced this thought aloud, but she didn't particularly care either. She felt Draco's arms go around her waist, and she stopped her attentions to his neck, choosing instead to accept a searing kiss on her lips. It was a playful battle for dominance, when pushed, the other pushed back. Their bodied where pressed against each others and Hermione savored how perfectly her small form fit into his broader one.

When they parted, Hermione wondered at how she had been pushed against the headboard and laughed when she realized that Draco had been pushing her back the whole time. He had her arms pinned over her head and though she knew she could break free, she chose instead to simply accept another kiss from Draco, though this one was much softer and warm rather than burning.

When they parted for the second time, Hermione did pull free of Draco's grip and smiled coyly at him.

"You win. This time." As they went to leave the room, walking side by side in companionable silence, Draco asked,

"So does this mean we're…"

"I don't know. Let's just leave it like it is, and see what happens, shall we?" But Hermione already knew that something had drastically changed for her.

_I think I love him._


	6. Chapter 6: Learning to Fly

Blood Lust

AN: Finally an update! WOOT! Summer has been really busy, and I haven't had a chance to right. PS: This fic will disregard Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince due to the fact that I wrote it before the book came out so…yeah….

Chapter Six

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO MORE QUIDDITCH!" Hermione did her best not to flinch at Draco's shout. After the sonic boom had passed over her, she straightened and said, very reasonably,

"You'll become a wonderfully shiny pile of dust. You ought to know that. Sunlight, burning, bursting into flames…any of this ringing any bells?" Draco paced in the empty classroom, occasionally passing through a beam of moonlight. He ran a hand through his hair.

"You're sure that there's no way for us to go into the sunlight?" Hermione sighed.

"You think I haven't tried everything? I have, and there is no way for vampires to go into direct sunlight." Draco stopped pacing and whirled to face Hermione.

"Do you know what it's like? To play Quidditch? To fly? It's like you're weightless, everything in the world is a meaningless blur, save you, and the Snitch. Nothing else matters, nothing else is there. And when you're flying-"

"I've flown before. I know the power behind it." There was a pause. "You can still fly you know. Vampires can change, and not just into bats. You'll be a raven." Draco scoffed.

"Sure. And you know this how?" Hermione stood.

"Because I am a raven, and my sire was a raven, and his sire before him, all the way back to his great-great grandsire. Come." She took his hand. "Come on, I'll show you." She led him to the top of the Astronomy Tower and was still holding his hand when they reached the top. She felt there was no reason to let go, she liked feeling his large hand on hers. She walked to the edge and pushed Draco off the tower. She let him fall a few seconds before leaping after him.

"Change! The raven is inside you! Search for it!" With that she became a raven, her cloak swirling around her shifting form. Draco fell for another two seconds before his shape started to shift and he too became a raven. Hermione cawed at him and they took off together over the grounds, headed for the Forbidden Forest.

They returned to the school after an hour of feeding and flying and tumbled down onto the cold stone of the astronomy, laughing and holding each other. They lay panting on the stone, arms wrapped around each other.

"See, I told you that you would still be able to fly." Draco smirked.

"You just can't resist a chance to rub that in my face can you." Hermione laughed.

"Of course I could. I simply choose not to." She grinned cheekily at him. Draco stood and offered a hand to Hermione, who took it gratefully. His hand was warm from their recent feeding and Hermione brought it to her cheek. "You're warm." Draco leaned down and kissed her softly, cupping her face with both hands.

"You're warm too."

"What's with you Hermione? You're acting so strangely these days." Harry's worried face stared at her from across the Gryffindor table and Ron continually jarred her left elbow while reaching for more food. Hermione shrugged, disregarding the toast Ron was trying to persuade her into eating.

"You never eat at all anymore. And you're always were gloves and a hood and acting all weird…" Hermione flicked several small pieces of food of her cloak. "You're not joining some weird cult are you?"

"No. I would appreciate it if you could just stop questioning me about what I wear."

"It's not just about what you wear, it's about how you behave. You never come to Quidditch games anymore, you don't even go outside at all."

"Yes I do!" Hermione remarked indignantly. "Just not at the same time you do." There was an awkward silence and Hermione started to leave the Great Hall. Harry tried to grab a hand, but it slipped and pulled her glove off. Hermione tried to pull it up into her sleeve, but Harry grabbed it.

"You're so pale Hermione…" Harry trailed off and looked down at her hand, dropping it quickly when he realized that it was steaming.

"What the-?" Hermione yanked her arm up her sleeve and attempted to leave again, but was stopped by Ron, who grabbed her cloak.

"What's wrong, Hermione? What are you hiding from us? Why was your skin burning?" Hermione looked back and forth between her two friends before pushing Ron off her, her vampire strength causing him to fly a good twenty feet before landing hard on the stone floor. Harry tried to grab Hermione again, but she lashed out at him, her teeth bared in an angry grimace.

"You're a-"Hermione knew from the fear in his eyes that he had figured out what she was. She transformed into a raven and flew hastily into the corridor. She wheeled through the halls, out of control, confusion rushing through her mind.

She spent the rest of the day hidden inside a suit of armor near the Slytherin Tower, waiting for Draco to pass by. She waited almost the entire day, listening to the voices of those hunting for her. But when Draco did pass by, she uttered a soft caw. He peered inside the suit and gently lifted Hermione out, holding him cradled in his hands.

"I was worried you know. Everyone was talking about how you turned out to be a vampire." Draco stroked her feathers softly. "We need to leave. Soon I'll be found out too, and there will be an uproar. Better that they gossip about a Gryffindor vampire and a Slytherin running off together than about the afore mentioned BOTH being vampires and being killed by an angry mob." He perched her on his shoulder and turned away from the Slytherin Tower.

When they reached Astronomy Tower, they leapt off together, transformed and flew into the moon which hung above the Forbidden Forest.


	7. Hideaways

Blood Lust

AN: I know it's been forever since I updated this story, but Memorial weekend has proven to be very productive. This is my third update in two days. WOOT!

Chapter Seven

Once safely beyond the border of the Forest, Hermione and Draco transformed back into their human forms in a whirl of robes. Draco, who knew the Forest better due to more frequent trips for food, grabbed Hermione's hand and led her down a weaving path into the heart of the Forbidden Forest. They flew over the ground, as though they still had wings. Hermione let her worries and fears fall away and she was weightless. She was the deer, and Draco was her shining silver stag.

They ran until the first rays of the sun had begun to peer from over the horizon. They found a shaded clearing and a tree with deep cavities near the roots. They stretched one set of robes over the opening of the cavity, and spread the other over the ground. They lay down together on the fabric and curled around each other. Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and tucked her head into the crook of his neck. Draco's arms wound around her slim waist and he kissed her temple before closing his eyes.

When Hermione woke, she felt so safe and protected, cocooned in Draco's body that when she felt a gentle shake on her shoulder, her only motion was to tilt her chin up and nose the junction of Draco's jaw and neck.

"Hermione…the sun has set, we need to get going." Hermione pouted, her eyes still closed.

"Don wanna…" Draco smiled, she was so sweet sometimes. He moved one hand from her waist and brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. Hermione licked at the skin where her nose had been and smiled deviously when she felt him shudder. She kissed her way up to Draco's mouth and captured his lips with a groan. She was rewarded with a passionate moan from Draco who moved one hand from her waist to her thigh, which he pulled over his waist and the other from her face to her neck, where he drew small circles and reveled in her shivers. He took advantage of his position and flipped her onto her back. Hermione attempted to speak through the multitude of kisses.

"Thought…you wanted…to get going…" Draco grinned and broke back.

"You started it." Hermione's legs wound around his hips while her hands slid over his shoulders.

"Did not." Draco dropped onto his elbows, bringing his face closer to Hermione's, their breath mingling together. He wound his fingers into her hair, lavishing in its thickness.

"Draco, how did this happen?" Draco brushed some hair away from her forehead.

"I don't know. You didn't leave me to die, that probably had something to do

with it. I got to know you through our somewhat…unique troubles." Hermione

smiled.

"Draco…"

"Hm?" He placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"I…I think I love you." Draco smiled.

"I think I love you, too" They kissed again, gently. Draco disentangled himself

from Hermione and took the robe from the root's cavity, draping it over his arm as he

pulled Hermione to her feet. Once she was upright, he put the robes over her shoulders.

He shook dirt loose from his own and pulled them on. He held out a hand to Hermione

and she entwined her fingers in his as he led her, once again, through the depths of the

Forest.

"I must find them, Wormtail. I need them for my revenge." Wormtail shuddered

at the Dark Lord's feet.

"But my Lord, there are so many others, why must you have these two?"

Voldemort stooped and grabbed Wormtail by the front of his robes, bringing him to eye

level.

"Do you understand irony, Wormtail?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Of course

not. Then you would not understand the irony in having Harry Potter killed by his little

Mudblood girlfriend, or the traitor Snape killed by one of his own students. Vampires are

dangerous creatures, Wormtail, but they can be manipulated easily. A little hunger and

sunlight and they are finished. By collecting an army of hungry vampires, I will be able

to unleash an immense and deadly force upon Hogwarts that leaves me at no risk for

further embarrassment. This will require no spells or tricks, simply the opening of a door,

and the release of a flood…of killers." He dropped Wormtail to the ground and kicked at

the sniveling heap.

"You will follow my orders without any further question, do you understand?"

Another kick. "Or you will be the first to fall to the hungers of my Black Army."

Wormtail sobbed as Voldemort stalked deeper into his underground hideaway, waiting

Until his footsteps had faded before venturing to rise from the ground.

AN: A bit short, I know, but I thought this would be a good stopping point.


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